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<title>Castle in the Sand by thirium goddess (sweetbabydean)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22601845">Castle in the Sand</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetbabydean/pseuds/thirium%20goddess'>thirium goddess (sweetbabydean)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:20:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>673</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22601845</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetbabydean/pseuds/thirium%20goddess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gavin Reed/Reader, Gavin Reed/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Castle in the Sand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Arms crossed and standing beside you he looks so young, vulnerable. When you look at him, you try to imagine that ten years haven’t passed, but that you’re still two lost teens growing up in the system. Like it’s still 2017 and he’s the best thing to happen to your shitty life. But the reality is that ten years have passed and you’re no longer fifteen and boy crazy, you’re older with a kid, and that changes everything. </p><p>“She’s really… how old is she?” he trails, watching this tiny human run around and trying but failing to count the years it’s been since he’s seen you last. </p><p>“She’ll be six in November,” you shrug. “It’s not your fault, Gav.”</p><p>“I should have been there,” he laments and you nod because it’s true. “I missed out on so much.”</p><p>“What could you have done? If you’re expecting me to be angry, you knocked up the wrong chick. We were stupid and in love and nothing works out like the fairytales, Gavin. You and I both know that. She’s ours and she’s beautiful and you’re here now.”</p><p>He looks at you for the first time in ten whole minutes. His gray eyes are glossy, rimmed in red and fuck — you’re still in love with him. Even at fifteen you knew there was something special about your relationship. He just got you like no one else did. There was no judgement, no awkwardness, just fireworks and chemical explosions behind your starry eyes. </p><p>He’s just as much in love with you. He thought it would fade, never thought he’d see you again. But here you are, flesh and blood in front of him. It’s very surreal and he can’t imagine missing out on another second of her life — not another second of yours. </p><p>“I — does she know who I am?”</p><p>“She has a picture of us on her nightstand, Gavin. She knows who you are.”</p><p>“Does she hate me?”</p><p>“Why don’t you ask her?”</p><p>Before he can tell you he’s absolutely not going to do that, Lainey interrupts him. Hands on her hips and foot stomping, apparently outraged that you haven’t kept your promise to help her build a castle in the sandbox. She looks just like you, but she has his eyes and it’s startling, knowing that he helped you make something so beautiful. </p><p>“Mommy! You said ten minutes. It’s been like fifty!”</p><p>Her attitude is very much him and he winces. You chuckle and roll your eyes, stern tone intact even though you’re smiling. “It’s been twenty, Miss Diva. But sure, let’s build that castle.”</p><p>At first Gavin doesn’t move, more than okay to watch you and your daughter interact. But Lainey tugs on his hand, looking up at him expectantly when he looks at her. </p><p>“Are you coming, Dad? You can build the towers! Mom’s terrible at it.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“It’s true!”</p><p>The way Lainey’s nose scrunches reminds him of you at fifteen, disgusted at his ability to scarf down and entire pint of mint ice cream. The dad comment should startle him but it doesn’t, he’d known she was his from the moment he’d laid eyes on the two of you. To be fair, he couldn’t even bring himself to imagine that she was anyone else’s, the mere thought of it sends an unpleasant shock to his system. He knows from just this very tiny exchange that she’s going to have him wrapped around his finger and Gavin’s never wanted anything more. </p><p>“Terrible, you say? I believe it,” he admits, winking at you as Lainey tugs him over to the sandbox.</p><p>“You are so not getting lucky after that,” you huff with no real heat. </p><p>Gavin smiles, brighter than anything he can recall in the last six years. “I’ve already gotten lucky.”</p><p>It’s true — you have Lainey as proof of that. But it’s also sincere. He is so lucky to have you back — to have her — and he thanks all the deities he knows for bringing the two, now three, of you back together.</p>
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